Steal Your Breath Away
by RenegadeBoo717
Summary: Not everyone who sails the sea wants to become the Pirate King. Some people just want to live. AU
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1.

Red sky at night, sailor's delight.

Red sky at morning, sailor's warning.

-Old Proverb

"Grandma Tsuru, I mean, Vice Admiral Tsuru! Mom, I mean Commodore Kiji is finally taking me out of Marineford for a pirate-hunting campaign. Oh hi, Vice Admiral Garp! She finally said I was ready for it. I mean it's not like I can't fight. Why else would I be training so hard every day. I mean I'm a petty officer now and I've never even been let out of the base on a mission. The other marines keep saying that I only got promoted because I'm your granddaughter. It's annoying. I work just as hard as anyone else, if not harder. I mean, you've taught me how to use haki and I'm getting better at using my devil fruit powers. What is their problem?"

The young marine that was talking, was floating on a small mobile rain cloud that was looking like it was about to start showering over the floor. The fifteen year old was sitting with her arms crossed over her chest, steaming over the way the other marines in her unit had been treating her.

"Settle down, Nightingale. I will admit that you have had more opportunities than the others, but you have not simply sat on your behind or used our connections to get a leg up over the others. You've worked and trained hard to be a good marine. The truth is people will be jealous of those who are better than them. You're starting to stand out among the younger marines who simply don't understand that you have lived your whole life among marines. The new recruits are still struggling and your ease with what you're ordered to do, makes them frustrated. Just keep on working hard and they'll eventually see that the only promotions you have been given are the ones you have earned."

"Thanks Vice Admiral Tsuru."

"You're starting to sound like your father. I'm honestly surprised that you didn't join him on Punk Hazard. I thought you would have wanted to join the science officers to work with him."

Nighingale frowned slightly, causing a small crease in her eyebrows.

"I did, but I don't want to have to deal with his rivalry with Vegapunk. I also thought I was more useful here. I mean, isn't the weather wonderful today. Besides, Mom- I mean Commodore Kiji said no. "

"Have you been controlling the weather again?"

"Yup! Otherwise there would be one heck of a really bad squall for the boats going out today. I made it so we'll only get sporadic light showers today instead of continuous pouring rain. To be honest, I still can't get the hang of stopping a storm altogether, but I can spread it out so it's not as bad."

"The shichibukai will appreciate your efforts, no doubt," the muscular old man walking alongside them said. "We're announcing the new warlord today."

"Huh, I guess "The Six Warlords of the Sea" doesn't have the same effect as seven," said Nightingale. "Hey, why don't you climb on? I can get you two to the meeting place faster!"

The raincloud expanded until it was large enough for both of the Vice Admirals and Nightingle to climb on and comfortably ride.

"I'd appreciate it."

"Are you sure this is safe?" Vice Admiral Tsuru asked.

"Yup, I've been practicing."

The two Vice admirals climbed up the steps that were formed out of a couple of smaller clouds and knelt upon the soft yet firm cloud.

"Hold on, it's going to be fast!"

The cloud rose several more feet into the air and shot off like a rocket through the marine headquarters.

-Five Years Later-

The sea was calm with the faintest of breezes ruffling the wild, bubblegum hair of the pale young woman sitting on the top of the large ship's figurehead. She was wearing nothing but a lightweight, storm gray silk robe over a jade green and white zebra patterned nightgown that barely reached her thighs. The woman's sweeping pink bangs covered the right side of her face leaving only a large golden brown eye and a pair of pale pink Cupid's bow lips visible. The shaggy cut of her waist length hair made her look untamed Her bare legs and feet were hung out over the snout of the black eastern dragon that made up the ship's figurehead.

A large bronze wind chime hung from the bottom of its jaw and smaller ones hung from each point of its white antlers, the long cloth tags fluttering in the soft wind. Each of the five-clawed hands of the dragon clutched a carving of a wisp of cloud, giving the figurehead the illusion of climbing into the sky.

The sun was just beginning to rise over the sea and the waves were gently rocking the ship making the several other wind chimes over the vessel tinkle and ring out over the waves. It was peaceful and if you could stop and listen, you would be able to hear that the wind chimes were actually ringing to the tune of a song.

A longhaired man who wasn't much older than the girl perched on the figurehead, wearing nothing but a pair of white denim pants, gray work boots, and a large steel gauntlet on his right hand came out onto the deck. His greenish yellow hair was blowing in the now much stronger wind as it picked up and played with the end of his long braid and the tassels of the leaf green sash around his waist that matched his eyes. The goatee on his pointed chin and his eyebrow ring further accented his sharp features and added a feeling that this man was not a person to be taken lightly.

"Maelstrom? Are you feeling alright," the muscular man asked the woman on top of the black dragon's head in a rough baritone voice.

"I'm fine Mojito, I just woke up earlier than usual today. You know how I am. In any case, isn't this sunrise beautiful? I just felt that it needed music to go with it. I didn't disturb anyone, did I?"

"Nah, of course not! I do love the fact that you're using your powers to play Bink's Sake though."

Maelstrom daintily jumped off of the ship's figurehead and called out in a clear voice: "I'm going to go get ready before all the hot water is gone. Oh, make sure everything is running smoothly. I'm getting the feeling that something is going to happen today. Something big. I don't know if it will be good or bad. Just big."

"Yes, ma'am."

The pink haired woman went down to her room in the ship far away from the roar of the engines and noise of the communal area. The black and greenish gray decor made the woman's pink hair stand out amidst the darkly lit and gloomy looking room. The wardrobe and weapons display case were both made of smooth black wood and were bolted to the floor. The queen-sized bed built into the floor and surrounded by light blue cotton drapes was soft as a cloud and covered in black flannel sheets.

The soft fluffy white rug on the hardwood floor was warm under Maelstrom's bare feet as she shucked off her gray robe. She continued to pull off her nightgown and underwear on her way to the small, but private bathroom connected to her quarters.

The bathroom was covered in white and purple tiles and lacked only a bathtub. The shower was covered by a plastic curtain with a gray cloud pattern and was immediately turned on when the girl entered the room. The water coming from the showerhead quickly heated up and Maelstrom quickly got around to washing her hair thoroughly. The pear scented shampoo and conditioner did their work as did the honey-scented body scrub. Maelstrom shut the water off as soon as she was done and bundled herself in a fluffy, dark blue towel.

Quickly throwing on a pair of gray underpants and a matching bra, the pink haired woman pulled on a gray spaghetti strap top. A pair of black denim shorts was like wise pulled on afterwards. A short navy blue, low cut kimono with long, wide sleeves embroidered and dyed with a minimalistic cloud pattern was pulled on over everything else and fixed in place with a mint green obi. A pair of brown flight goggles was pulled over her newly brushed hair like a headband. A pair of gray stockings was pulled on over her legs along with a pair of metal plated geta. The pair of black hilted butterfly blades in their scabbards was the last thing in Maelstrom's eccentric ensemble.

By the time she left her room, the ship was already buzzing with life. Crewmembers scurried back and forth, cleaning the floors and walls. Others were waiting in line for the showers. Still more crewmembers raced for the ships cafeteria to get some breakfast. When she got to the deck of the ship the whole ship was awake.

Two burly men in were serving up an early breakfast of pancakes and sausages to the ship's crew. The skinnier one in the yellow chef outfit with very short blond hair and an oval face was named Lemonade and he was one of the oldest people on the ship at nearly fifty years of age. His partner in the kitchen was the younger, redheaded Chef Cider. Cider was a round-faced thirty-year old with biceps as big as Maelstrom's waist.

Outside of the cafeteria, some of the crew could be seen practicing sparring against each other. Martial artists, swordsmen, and other crewmembers were showing off their stuff for the rest off the crew to see. The ship's navigator, Bloodhound, was handling the betting pool with ease near the back left corner of the dining area. Maelstrom was drawn towards the two most energetic fighters.

The lovely tan haired fighter in the light green kimono was bobbing and weaving gracefully trading sword blows with an amber haired man in a red suit.

The flowers and butterflies delicately embroidered on the tea green fabric in gold thread shimmered whenever the graceful fighter executed a particularly difficult blocking move with their katana and wakizashi.

The feminine fighter was equally matched by the skill of the red suited fighter and his large claymore. Blow for blow, he rose up to the challenge that the green robed combatant posed, until in a decisive move the fighter in green broke through his defenses and held the katana to his neck.

The pink haired woman calmly stepped in and started to give orders to the still swordsmen.

"Matcha, you win again. That's the end of the tie then. Good show, Darjeeling. Why don't the two of you go grab something to eat before it's all gone?"

"Yes Captain," the fighter in green said demurely.

"Yes ma'am, Captain Maelstrom," the red clad swordsman responded cheerfully.

The swordsman, an eighteen year-old boy named Darjeeling was wearing a blood red suit with a black waistcoat over an amber colored dress shirt. His amber colored hair was held back in a short ponytail on top of his head, with a few stray hairs hanging in front of his face. His orange eyes were playful and bright as he tried to wheedle an extra pancake from Cider. His ears were covered in multiple piercings and his hands were covered in fingerless black leather gloves.

His opponent, the lovely Matcha was eating his breakfast having sped through the line due to his rank on the crew. The feminine fighter was usually mistaken for a woman due to his build and facial features, and his feminine form of dress did not discourage the misunderstanding. The swordsman often wore women's kimono and dresses in his trademark bright green. Despite his looks, he was one of the best fighters on board the ship. His three dogs Chasen, Chawan, and Chashaku were eating their food at his feet.

Also at the table was the last of the swordsman trio: Chamomile. He was drinking from a cup of piping hot cup of tea, reading the latest newspaper. His white-blond hair was styled in a gelled faux-hawk with a few stray hairs falling in front of his face. His dress shirt was unbuttoned, showing off his toned chest and impressive skeleton tattoo. Maelstrom headed to her table, sitting down next to Mojito, her first mate. He was chowing down on a large stack of pancakes slathered with maple syrup, not even bothering to use a fork or a knife but eating each one with his sticky hands. He shoved a much more modest plate of pigs in a blanket in her direction without even looking at her.

"Eat up, Captain. You need to keep your strength up."

"Yes, mother. Now, are there any problems that need my attention?"

"Yup, but they can wait after breakfast. You haven't been eating as much lately and it stops now. Don't give me the "I'm not hungry" excuse. If you haven't noticed, you tend to wear your emotions for everyone to see. Starving yourself isn't going to help. If you're starting to have problems again"

"Fine, but you're a jerk"

Mojito gave her a mock affronted look with a remark of "But I'm your jerk." Then he tried to hug her, but was evaded and rebuffed with the cry "Eww, no! You're all sticky!" Still, she devoured everything on the plate and a large glass of apple juice, so Mojito kept his silence after that.

Still more crewmembers were eating breakfast and by the time Captain Maelstrom had left the line for breakfast had gotten longer.

"I'm finished. Where's the problem?"

"Up on the helm. Talk to Bloodhound. He and the mechanics want to know about the Dark and Stormy docking for maintenance and restocking supplies."

The crowd of people waiting in line parted to let her through, whispering about how the weather outside had started to become more overcast. Maelstrom made her way out the door and up the stairs on the right side of the outside of the cafeteria to the wheelhouse. A man with hair red as strawberries wearing just a pair of dark green swim trunks and a dog collar was manning the wheel.

"Hi Captain."

"Bloodhound, what is the closest town to our location?"

"Orange Town ma'am?"

"We'll dock there for restocking and maintenance on the Dark and Stormy."

"Mojito told ya then."

"Yes, after we dock how long will we need to stay in port?"

"Maybe a day or two from what Screwdriver tells me."

"Full speed ahead then."

The wind began to pick up and fill the sails, pushing the ship along much faster than it had before. The black flag of the Chime Pirates flickered in in the gale that was making the various windchimes over the ship ring. The day had begun.

AN: Yes, I'm not done with my Resident Evil fanfic, but I got inspiration and had to use it. The names of the crewmembers are all based off of beverages. If there are any you are unfamiliar with, please consult the gude below

Maelstrom-a spin-off of the Hurricane

Mojito- A cocktail made of white rum, sparkling water, lime juice, sugar, and mint.

Lemonade-Water, lemon juice, and sugar

Cider-Fermented apple juice

Matcha-Finely ground green tea powder, the kind used in the Japanese tea ceremony.

Chasen- whisk

Chawan-bowl

Chashaku-spoon

Darjeeling-a light colored tea

Chamomile- a tea good for helping with sleep problems and anxiety

Bloodhound-gin, vermouth, and strawberry coulis

Dark and Stormy- Gosling's Black Seal Rum and ginger beer served over ice. Lime wedge optional.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2.

When clouds appear like rocks and towers,

the earth's refreshed by frequent showers.

-Old weather saying

"Again mama, do it again mama! I think I can do it this time"

The pink haired six year old was jumping up and down like a hyperactive kangaroo while grinning like a loon. She was surrounded by a bunch of rubber balls the size of tangerines around her on the ground. A woman with bluish green hair was standing by a barrel of the same rubber balls surrounding her daughter. Her suit was slightly rumpled from throwing the rubber balls at her daughter all afternoon, but it was nothing compared to the dirt and bruises on Nightingale. The little girl's blue and white sundress was wrinkled and dirty from falling into the dirt over and over again. Nightingale herself was slightly bruised all over her body and one of her pigtails had come undone, but she seemed to be happy.

Commodore Kiji was amused and aimed a few more rubber balls at her daughter, pitching them hard and fast enough to bruise. The little girl dodged the first two balls by simply moving from side to side, and then quickly ducked as the last one almost hit her in her face.

Kiji rushed to her daughter and gently pulled off Nightingale's blindfold. Nightingale's left eye was black and she squinted in discomfort from the sudden brightness of the sun.

"I am so proud of you sweetie. I just know that you're going become a wonderful marine. Maybe even an admiral! Or maybe you'll be a great scientist like your father, creating new technology for the Marines. After all, all high ranking Marines know how to use Haki."

"Yay, I can use hayki! Oooo, butterfly!"

"Nightingale! It's Kenbunshoku Haki, not hayki! Oh never mind."

The little girl had started to chase the orange and black insect, ignoring her mother's attempt to correct her on the correct pronunciation of Haki. Commodore Kiji sighed, leaning against a tree. Nightingale really was doing well, especially considering how young she was. There were hundreds of marines who didn't even know what Haki was, let alone how to use it. She knew there were people who thought she was pushing her daughter too hard. What did they know? Her daughter was a prodigy who was already learning how to use Haki. Surely a black eye and a couple of bruises were worth that. Her daughter was looking so adorable in her blue and white dress patterned off of the marine uniform, complete with the Marine insignia on the front. Kiji could see Nightingale in her mind's eye, as an admiral wearing a stylish black suit, or even the Fleet Admiral of the Marines. Next she saw Nightingale as a scientist creating an invention to wipe out all pirates, even the Four Warlords. If her daughter could become an invaluable asset to the Marines, or rather a force of Justice unto the world, anything would be worth it.

Kiji sensed her husband coming up from behind her, his hand coming up to rest on her shoulder.

" Isn't she a little too young for you to be training her in how to use Haki. She is only six."

"She is six and already showing the signs of being able to use Haki. Besides, I am planning on starting to teach her swordplay and self defense next month."

She had married her husband two years ago, and even though he wasn't her daughter's birth father, he cared deeply about her treating Nightingale like she was his own child. He was also one of the most vocal people about telling her to let Nightingale be a child along with her mother and Nightingale's birth father.

Nightingale's birth father had been adamant that he be allowed to have a hand in raising his daughter. He hadn't been in love with Kiji and she hadn't loved him, but things happened and the then Captain Kiji had gotten pregnant. He had stepped up to the plate admirably, giving Nightingale his last name, changing her diapers, teaching her how to read, and just treating his daughter like a precious treasure that no one but him deserved. He had certainly been a large influence on her daughter's life, considering how Nightingale was beginning to take a greater interest in how the world worked. Her newfound interest in watching the mechanics and asking them questions about the engines they worked on was proof along with her daughter trying to learn medicine from the Marine doctors.

"Kiji, I just got back from talking to Fleet Admiral Kong."

"What happened dear? Are you being reassigned?"

"Kiji, I was promoted. I'm an admiral now."

Kiji felt herself be swept up into a tight embrace, her husband's lips glued to her own. She melted into him, not caring who saw. They were Admiral and Commodore. Husband and Wife. Man and Woman. Pairings so tied together that they were part of nature itself.

Meanwhile, Nightingale had been chasing the butterfly back and forth around the meadow trying to catch it. She had finally caught up to it when it had landed on a wildflower, when it had flitted on to her nose. The tiny legs of the creature tickled Nightingale's nose badly, making the little girl sniff and breathe deeply trying to get rid of the sensation of being two seconds away from needing to sneeze.

Meanwhile, the current Fleet Admiral was taking a walk on the other side of the meadow to get some needed fresh air when he heard a small sneeze coming from the little girl. Seconds later he found himself swamped under a massive pile of leaves from almost all the trees in the area.

Nightingale's golden-brown eyes went huge and watery, tears threatening to spill over her cheeks at any moment.

"Sowwy, Fweet Admiwal Kong. I didn't mean to."

The Fleet Admiral was still in shock. That or trying not to choke on the red maple leaves that had gotten into his mouth and everywhere else.

"Nightingale, what the-! How did you do that?"

"I dunno, mama. I'm sowwy." The little girl was shaking in her tiny black boots, terrified and confused about what had happened.

"Wait a minute, you spent the day with your father yesterday! Honey, what did you and daddy do yesterday?"

The green haired woman was obviously on edge asking her daughter the question, but tried to keep herself calm so as not to make Nightingale any more uncomfortable.

"Daddy and I made things go boom and then we looked at the robots and then I learned how to use a Den Den and then I colored while Daddy made some things go all fizzy and then I stole Mr. Vegapunk's hat and then Daddy gave me a cookie and then Daddy read me a story about somebody named Auntie Body and then I made Daddy's hair look pretty and then Daddy gave me some icky fruit to eat and the-"

"Icky fruit? Nightingale, how was the fruit icky?

"It was gray and had weird swirlies on it and it tasted like Mister Garp's dirty socks smell like."

The realization of what had happened hit everyone except Nightingale like a ton of bricks. Kiji was furious. The father of her child had fed their daughter a devil fruit.

She was going to kill him.

-13 years and seven months later-

The weather had cleared up somewhat as the Dark and Stormy had made its way towards Orange Town. The crew was getting ready to dock in the town's port and Maelstrom was sitting on a chaise lounge blowing a bubble with her gum, in the room above the wheelhouse where she spent a lot of her time reading.

She could hear her first mate barking orders left and right at her crew, telling them to rest the ship at the other end of the dock away from the other ship. Looking through the wide window of the room, she could see the garish thing, all covered in red and white and green and yellow. Was that an elephant figurehead? In any case, it would be prudent for her to do a little reconnaissance to make sure the town would be safe for her crew. That ship was flying a jolly roger and that never meant anything good.

As the crew docked the ship, Maelstrom opened her perception to check the town. From what she could sense, Orange Town had become quite the ghost town. The wind lazily drifted through the streets, and not a single person felt its chill. Maelstrom's perception was not picking up anyone until she stretched it to where the other end of the port was.

_Aha, there you are._

A large collection of people was near the other ship. Pirates, probably and no doubt they were the reason the town had been practically deserted. Their aggressiveness and confidence was irritating to Maelstrom's senses so she turned her attention to another part of the town finding a spirit that was intent on guarding something very dear to its heart. The only other presences were the two that were overhead. Maybe they were a couple of birds?

She left the room and made her way to the deck, ironing out details with Mojito and voicing her concerns while the crew gathered in front of them. Finally she stepped in front of the crowd when she was done.

Mojito joined Maelstrom by her side as she faced the crew ready to announce the plan for the day. Mojito went ahead and named all the crewmembers that would be in charge of gathering supplies and then began to explain how the resupplying would go.

"Okay everybody who's in the supply group, listen up! Another pirate crew has driven most, if not all of the town's population out of here. We're still going to pay for what we take. We just won't hand it directly to the shopkeepers. Keep a total of the prices of the things you take from the stores and leave the money behind on the counter. We may have been forced into piracy, but we're going to act like any other trade ship that needs supplies. Anyone who has any objections with this plan can take it up with the Captain."

A murmur started up among the other parts of the crew and a woman carrying a large warhammer raised her hand.

"Yes Crush?" Mojito asked her, resting his arm on his hip.

"What are the rest of us going to do," she asked in a high-pitched voice that sounded like it belonged to an eight year-old.

Maelstrom decided to answer Crush's question herself.

"The mechanics will be doing maintenance on the ship and a few of our better fighters like Matcha and Darjeeling will be staying behind to help guard our home. The rest of you will be joining me. Remember the other crew of pirates?" Maelstrom paused for a bit to let the implication of what she said sink into the heads of her crew.

"It's hunting time," she stated flatly.

A cheer went up from the crew and several of the people started fingering their weapons. The closest crewmembers to the Captain and First Mate that became visibly excited were the Rocks Sisters.

Rocks Cube was the older sister, her white hair long and stiffly styled into a square looking bun. Her long slender body was wearing a pair of black slacks and a light purple tank top. Her hands were encased in a pair of innocuous looking black gloves. She was the more serious sister, always needing everything to be just so. Besides her skill in combat, she was in charge of making sure that the books and records in the ship's library were kept neat and orderly.

Rocks Crush was her younger sister, her short, white hair shaggy and hiding her eyes from the world. She was wearing a short pink sundress with spaghetti straps and a red scarf. Her large warhammer was as long as she was tall and just as heavy. Crush was much more relaxed than her older sister and a notorious flirt. She was also one of the ship's nurses, keeping the crew hale and hearty.

"Crush, Cube. The two of you will be on the hunting team with me. Mojito, you're in charge until I get back."

"Yes Captain. Be careful."

Maelstrom let her body become light and insubstantial like a cloud. She drifted across the town noting that one of the two presences had fallen out of the sky near a bunch of people. She could sense the short scuffle and retreat of the two winners. She wondered what had happened and decided it was probably nothing. The two Rocks sisters were following behind waiting for their captain's signal to attack. Cube was constantly adjusting her gloves around her wrists in eager anticipation.

Maelstrom sensed some sort of conflict ahead and motioned to the sisters to hang back. She moved on ahead using her ability to become nearly invisible. She drifted up and onto a nearby roof to watch what was happening on the next roof over. She silently sat and watched, taking care not to snap her gum. Now she would wait for the two people coming towards the bar to arrive. It would be easier to get them all in one place before defeating them than hunting them all over the town.

The man who she took to be the captain of the opposing pirates was sitting down drinking a mug of beer, the foam stuck to his pale lip. The most striking things about him were his colorful outfit, his sky blue hair, and most of all, his bulbous red nose. Maelstrom sent out a small white cloud to let her comrades know to join her stealthily.

_Ah, the infamous Captain Buggy. Your wanted poster states that you're worth 15,000,000 Berri. I wonder if you actually are that dangerous. Oh well, I can find out when the rest of your crew joins you._

The Rocks Sisters joined her quickly after seeing the sign she had given. The three ladies watched as three more of the Buggy Pirates and an orange haired girl led along a tied up boy in a straw hat and red vest.

_Hmmm, things just got more interesting._

AN: I got the idea for the names of the Chime Pirates from watching an anime I truly adore named Jing: King of Bandits.

Rock Cube and Rocks Crush are named after the term "On the Rocks" which means to add ice to a drink. Cube and Crush simply refers to the two kinds of ice that are most common: Crushed and Cubed.

In keeping with Oda's tendency to name ladies in One Piece after birds, Kiji means pheasant.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 2.

When clouds appear like rocks and towers,

the earth's refreshed by frequent showers.

-Old weather saying

"Again mama, do it again mama! I think I can do it this time"

The pink haired six year old was jumping up and down like a hyperactive kangaroo while grinning like a loon. She was surrounded by a bunch of rubber balls the size of tangerines around her on the ground. A woman with bluish green hair was standing by a barrel of the same rubber balls surrounding her daughter. Her suit was slightly rumpled from throwing the rubber balls at her daughter all afternoon, but it was nothing compared to the dirt and bruises on Nightingale. The little girl's blue and white sundress was wrinkled and dirty from falling into the dirt over and over again. Nightingale herself was slightly bruised all over her body and one of her pigtails had come undone, but she seemed to be happy.

Commodore Kiji was amused and aimed a few more rubber balls at her daughter, pitching them hard and fast enough to bruise. The little girl dodged the first two balls by simply moving from side to side, and then quickly ducked as the last one almost hit her in her face.

Kiji rushed to her daughter and gently pulled off Nightingale's blindfold. Nightingale's left eye was black and she squinted in discomfort from the sudden brightness of the sun.

"I am so proud of you sweetie. I just know that you're going become a wonderful marine. Maybe even an admiral! Or maybe you'll be a great scientist like your father, creating new technology for the Marines. After all, all high ranking Marines know how to use Haki."

"Yay, I can use hayki! Oooo, butterfly!"

"Nightingale! It's Kenbunshoku Haki, not hayki! Oh never mind."

The little girl had started to chase the orange and black insect, ignoring her mother's attempt to correct her on the correct pronunciation of Haki. Commodore Kiji sighed, leaning against a tree. Nightingale really was doing well, especially considering how young she was. There were hundreds of marines who didn't even know what Haki was, let alone how to use it. She knew there were people who thought she was pushing her daughter too hard. What did they know? Her daughter was a prodigy who was already learning how to use Haki. Surely a black eye and a couple of bruises were worth that. Her daughter was looking so adorable in her blue and white dress patterned off of the marine uniform, complete with the Marine insignia on the front. Kiji could see Nightingale in her mind's eye, as an admiral wearing a stylish black suit, or even the Fleet Admiral of the Marines. Next she saw Nightingale as a scientist creating an invention to wipe out all pirates, even the Four Warlords. If her daughter could become an invaluable asset to the Marines, or rather a force of Justice unto the world, anything would be worth it.

Kiji sensed her husband coming up from behind her, his hand coming up to rest on her shoulder.

" Isn't she a little too young for you to be training her in how to use Haki. She is only six."

"She is six and already showing the signs of being able to use Haki. Besides, I am planning on starting to teach her swordplay and self defense next month."

She had married her husband two years ago, and even though he wasn't her daughter's birth father, he cared deeply about her treating Nightingale like she was his own child. He was also one of the most vocal people about telling her to let Nightingale be a child along with her mother and Nightingale's birth father.

Nightingale's birth father had been adamant that he be allowed to have a hand in raising his daughter. He hadn't been in love with Kiji and she hadn't loved him, but things happened and the then Captain Kiji had gotten pregnant. He had stepped up to the plate admirably, giving Nightingale his last name, changing her diapers, teaching her how to read, and just treating his daughter like a precious treasure that no one but him deserved. He had certainly been a large influence on her daughter's life, considering how Nightingale was beginning to take a greater interest in how the world worked. Her newfound interest in watching the mechanics and asking them questions about the engines they worked on was proof along with her daughter trying to learn medicine from the Marine doctors.

"Kiji, I just got back from talking to Fleet Admiral Kong."

"What happened dear? Are you being reassigned?"

"Kiji, I was promoted. I'm an admiral now."

Kiji felt herself be swept up into a tight embrace, her husband's lips glued to her own. She melted into him, not caring who saw. They were Admiral and Commodore. Husband and Wife. Man and Woman. Pairings so tied together that they were part of nature itself.

Meanwhile, Nightingale had been chasing the butterfly back and forth around the meadow trying to catch it. She had finally caught up to it when it had landed on a wildflower, when it had flitted on to her nose. The tiny legs of the creature tickled Nightingale's nose badly, making the little girl sniff and breathe deeply trying to get rid of the sensation of being two seconds away from needing to sneeze.

Meanwhile, the current Fleet Admiral was taking a walk on the other side of the meadow to get some needed fresh air when he heard a small sneeze coming from the little girl. Seconds later he found himself swamped under a massive pile of leaves from almost all the trees in the area.

Nightingale's golden-brown eyes went huge and watery, tears threatening to spill over her cheeks at any moment.

"Sowwy, Fweet Admiwal Kong. I didn't mean to."

The Fleet Admiral was still in shock. That or trying not to choke on the red maple leaves that had gotten into his mouth and everywhere else.

"Nightingale, what the-! How did you do that?"

"I dunno, mama. I'm sowwy." The little girl was shaking in her tiny black boots, terrified and confused about what had happened.

"Wait a minute, you spent the day with your father yesterday! Honey, what did you and daddy do yesterday?"

The green haired woman was obviously on edge asking her daughter the question, but tried to keep herself calm so as not to make Nightingale any more uncomfortable.

"Daddy and I made things go boom and then we looked at the robots and then I learned how to use a Den Den and then I colored while Daddy made some things go all fizzy and then I stole Mr. Vegapunk's hat and then Daddy gave me a cookie and then Daddy read me a story about somebody named Auntie Body and then I made Daddy's hair look pretty and then Daddy gave me some icky fruit to eat and the-"

"Icky fruit? Nightingale, how was the fruit icky?

"It was gray and had weird swirlies on it and it tasted like Mister Garp's dirty socks smell like."

The realization of what had happened hit everyone except Nightingale like a ton of bricks. Kiji was furious. The father of her child had fed their daughter a devil fruit.

She was going to kill him.

-13 years and seven months later-

The weather had cleared up somewhat as the Dark and Stormy had made its way towards Orange Town. The crew was getting ready to dock in the town's port and Maelstrom was sitting on a chaise lounge blowing a bubble with her gum, in the room above the wheelhouse where she spent a lot of her time reading.

She could hear her first mate barking orders left and right at her crew, telling them to rest the ship at the other end of the dock away from the other ship. Looking through the wide window of the room, she could see the garish thing, all covered in red and white and green and yellow. Was that an elephant figurehead? In any case, it would be prudent for her to do a little reconnaissance to make sure the town would be safe for her crew. That ship was flying a jolly roger and that never meant anything good.

As the crew docked the ship, Maelstrom opened her perception to check the town. From what she could sense, Orange Town had become quite the ghost town. The wind lazily drifted through the streets, and not a single person felt its chill. Maelstrom's perception was not picking up anyone until she stretched it to where the other end of the port was.

_Aha, there you are._

A large collection of people was near the other ship. Pirates, probably and no doubt they were the reason the town had been practically deserted. Their aggressiveness and confidence was irritating to Maelstrom's senses so she turned her attention to another part of the town finding a spirit that was intent on guarding something very dear to its heart. The only other presences were the two that were overhead. Maybe they were a couple of birds?

She left the room and made her way to the deck, ironing out details with Mojito and voicing her concerns while the crew gathered in front of them. Finally she stepped in front of the crowd when she was done.

Mojito joined Maelstrom by her side as she faced the crew ready to announce the plan for the day. Mojito went ahead and named all the crewmembers that would be in charge of gathering supplies and then began to explain how the resupplying would go.

"Okay everybody who's in the supply group, listen up! Another pirate crew has driven most, if not all of the town's population out of here. We're still going to pay for what we take. We just won't hand it directly to the shopkeepers. Keep a total of the prices of the things you take from the stores and leave the money behind on the counter. We may have been forced into piracy, but we're going to act like any other trade ship that needs supplies. Anyone who has any objections with this plan can take it up with the Captain."

A murmur started up among the other parts of the crew and a woman carrying a large warhammer raised her hand.

"Yes Crush?" Mojito asked her, resting his arm on his hip.

"What are the rest of us going to do," she asked in a high-pitched voice that sounded like it belonged to an eight year-old.

Maelstrom decided to answer Crush's question herself.

"The mechanics will be doing maintenance on the ship and a few of our better fighters like Matcha and Darjeeling will be staying behind to help guard our home. The rest of you will be joining me. Remember the other crew of pirates?" Maelstrom paused for a bit to let the implication of what she said sink into the heads of her crew.

"It's hunting time," she stated flatly.

A cheer went up from the crew and several of the people started fingering their weapons. The closest crewmembers to the Captain and First Mate that became visibly excited were the Rocks Sisters.

Rocks Cube was the older sister, her white hair long and stiffly styled into a square looking bun. Her long slender body was wearing a pair of black slacks and a light purple tank top. Her hands were encased in a pair of innocuous looking black gloves. She was the more serious sister, always needing everything to be just so. Besides her skill in combat, she was in charge of making sure that the books and records in the ship's library were kept neat and orderly.

Rocks Crush was her younger sister, her short, white hair shaggy and hiding her eyes from the world. She was wearing a short pink sundress with spaghetti straps and a red scarf. Her large warhammer was as long as she was tall and just as heavy. Crush was much more relaxed than her older sister and a notorious flirt. She was also one of the ship's nurses, keeping the crew hale and hearty.

"Crush, Cube. The two of you will be on the hunting team with me. Mojito, you're in charge until I get back."

"Yes Captain. Be careful."

Maelstrom let her body become light and insubstantial like a cloud. She drifted across the town noting that one of the two presences had fallen out of the sky near a bunch of people. She could sense the short scuffle and retreat of the two winners. She wondered what had happened and decided it was probably nothing. The two Rocks sisters were following behind waiting for their captain's signal to attack. Cube was constantly adjusting her gloves around her wrists in eager anticipation.

Maelstrom sensed some sort of conflict ahead and motioned to the sisters to hang back. She moved on ahead using her ability to become nearly invisible. She drifted up and onto a nearby roof to watch what was happening on the next roof over. She silently sat and watched, taking care not to snap her gum. Now she would wait for the two people coming towards the bar to arrive. It would be easier to get them all in one place before defeating them than hunting them all over the town.

The man who she took to be the captain of the opposing pirates was sitting down drinking a mug of beer, the foam stuck to his pale lip. The most striking things about him were his colorful outfit, his sky blue hair, and most of all, his bulbous red nose. Maelstrom sent out a small white cloud to let her comrades know to join her stealthily.

_Ah, the infamous Captain Buggy. Your wanted poster states that you're worth 15,000,000 Berri. I wonder if you actually are that dangerous. Oh well, I can find out when the rest of your crew joins you._

The Rocks Sisters joined her quickly after seeing the sign she had given. The three ladies watched as three more of the Buggy Pirates and an orange haired girl led along a tied up boy in a straw hat and red vest.

_Hmmm, things just got more interesting._

AN: I got the idea for the names of the Chime Pirates from watching an anime I truly adore named Jing: King of Bandits.

Rock Cube and Rocks Crush are named after the term "On the Rocks" which means to add ice to a drink. Cube and Crush simply refers to the two kinds of ice that are most common: Crushed and Cubed.

In keeping with Oda's tendency to name ladies in One Piece after birds, Kiji means pheasant.


End file.
